KOLLAM: Setting the stage for trial in the 'Enrica Lexie' ship case, two Italian marines charged with shooting to death two Indian fishermen off Kerala coast will be produced in the District and Sessions Court here tomorrow. Sessions Judge P D Rajan had issued the relevant warrant to prison authorities to produce the marines, Latore Massimilliano and Salvatore Girone, who are the first and second accused in the case. The First Class Magistrate Court here,...

CHENNAI: Commercial ships with armed men on board, which navigate along India's territorial waters, pose a threat to the country's security, a senior Coast Guard official said here today. "...major challenge in the recent times is the large number of commercial ships that have armed men on board for security of these vessels (which) pose a threat to our coastal regions and the national security, as they do not declare the weaponry on board, if they are not calling on...

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala government would take a decision on the Supreme Court directive to consider the plea for transfering to a guest house the two marines on board Italian ship 'Enrica Lexie', arrested in connection with the killing of two Indian fishermen, after getting the apex court order, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said today. "Government has not received the order. After examining the directive, we will take a decision," Chandy told reporters...

KOCHI | NEW DELHI: In a move that pits it against the Kerala government , the Centre on Friday asserted that the state police had no authority to detain the Italian ship 'Enrica Lexie,' after two Indian fishermen were killed by the marines stationed on it. The Centre made this submission in the Supreme Court, arguing that the Kerala Police Station had no jurisdiction to detain the ship or probe the incident as the events unfurled...

NEW DELHI: In the wake of Supreme Court allowing NIA to conduct probe into killing of two Kerala fishermen, the agency will begin the inquiry afresh and question all foreign witnesses present on the Italian ship. Official sources said NIA, which slapped the stringent Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against Safety of Maritime Navigation and Fixed Platforms on Continental Shelf Act, 2002 against two Italian marines accused of killing the fishermen, will start its probe from...

AMRITSAR: "Forcing" Italy to return its marines for trial in the case relating to Indian fishermen's murder is a major "diplomatic success" for the country, former Ambassador to Denmark , journalist and Rajya Sabha MP H K Dua said today. The two marines were on board an Italian vessel 'Enrica Lexie' when they allegedly shot dead two fishermen off the Kerala coast on February 15, last year. Citing it as an example, Dua said while talking to reporters...

NEW DELHI/KOCHI: India today said the firing by armed guards on-board an Italian merchant ship killing two Indian fishermen off the coast of Kerala, was "against the laws and norms" and the guilty will be punished. "We are taking this issue very seriously. What happened was against the laws and the norms. The guilty will have to be punished," Defence Minister A K Antony told reporters here. Underlining that India wanted to...

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has ordered the release of Italian merchant navy ship Enrica Lexie along with its crew and remaining marines. A bench of justices RM Lodha and HL Gokhale directed the crew members of the Italian commercial vessel and marines to make themselves available whenever they are required by Indian authorities for investigation and prosecution of two arrested marines in judicial custody. Setting aside a ...

NEW DELHI: The GPS (global positioning system) on board Italian tanker Enrica Lexie holds the key to determining whether six Italian naval personnel could be prosecuted in Indian courts or whether it should be left to Italy to act against them. The Enrica Lexie's security detail, which killed two Indian fishermen off the Kerala coast on Wednesday believing them to be pirates, can be prosecuted fully under the Indian Penal Code only if the incident happened in Indian...

CHENNAI: Commercial ships with armed men on board, which navigate along India's territorial waters, pose a threat to the country's security, a senior Coast Guard official said here today. "...major challenge in the recent times is the large number of commercial ships that have armed men on board for security of these vessels (which) pose a threat to our coastal regions and the national security, as they do not declare the weaponry on board, if they are not calling...

NEW DELHI: In the wake of Supreme Court allowing NIA to conduct probe into killing of two Kerala fishermen, the agency will begin the inquiry afresh and question all foreign witnesses present on the Italian ship. Official sources said NIA, which slapped the stringent Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against Safety of Maritime Navigation and Fixed Platforms on Continental Shelf Act, 2002 against two Italian marines accused of killing the fishermen, will start its probe...

Did Italy throw away a good case because of domestic compulsions? Harish N Salve, who argued the case in the top court till Italy decided to go back on its word to return the two marines, seems to think so. If the Italians hadn't chosen to do so, in deference to strong public sentiment at home, they would have had a very strong case, reckons Salve. So what spooked the Italians? Lawyers say sentiments at home were against leaving its nationals at the...

NEW DELHI: Airports across the country have been alerted to prevent Italian Ambassador Daniele Mancini from leaving the country. The decision was taken by the Union Home Ministry a day after the Supreme Court restrained the Italian Ambassador from leaving India without its permission, official sources said. The Apex court had taken exception to Italian government's refusal to send back two marines charged with the killing of two...

The Supreme Court's action in restraining the Italian envoy from leaving the country, a possible precursor to initiating contempt of court proceedings, could set the stage for a conflict between the Vienna Convention, which confers near-absolute immunity upon an ambassador, and the sovereign rights of India's highest court. What is the diplomatic immunity? Under the Vienna Convention of 1961, an ambassador enjoys immunity from criminal, civil and...

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy will convey the state government's "serious" concern over Italy's decision not to send back to India the two marines charged with shooting dead two fishermen off Kerala coast in February last. According to the Chief Minister's office, Chandy would write to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressing the state's disappointment over the new twist in the case. Chandy, who is scheduled to leave for Delhi...

NEW DELHI: Italy today assured India that the two marines, facing murder charges in Kerala, will be back in the country within the first week of January as per the court order. "You can be assured that they will be back. The Republic of Italy has given its word in writing and we will honour that," a senior Italian government official told PTI here amid reports of uncertainty over their return. Recently media reports had said the marines ...

NEW DELHI/KOCHI: Italy today rushed a top diplomat to India amid a deepening row over the arrest of two Italian Naval guards who also plan to move the Kerala High Court tomorrow to quash the FIR charging them with the killing of two Indian fishermen at sea. Junior foreign minister Staffan De Mistura will "continue on a political level the action so far carried out by a delegation of experts from the Italian foreign, defence...

KOLLAM: A court here today extended by 14 days the judicial remand of two marines of Italian ship 'Enrica Lexie', charged with gunning down two Indian fishermen off the Kerala coast in February. The marines, Latore Massimiliano and Salvatore Girone , have been in remand since February 19 when they were arrested and charged with murder of the two fishermen who had put to sea from Kollam. The marines were brought from Central Prison in the state capital and produced before Chief...

KOLLAM/KERELA: Setting the stage for their return to Italy for Christmas , a local court today released the passports of the two Italian marines, facing murder charges in Kerala, after they made an unconditional undertaking that they would return to the state by January 10. The marines appeared before the Additional District and Sessions court here and executed the bond and other guarantee set by the Kerala High Court yesterday for...

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The incident of two Italian marines allegedly shooting dead two Indian fishermen off Kerala's coast in February and the subsequent legal and diplomatic issues made headlines throughout 2012, which also saw many developments on the state's political arena. Coming to power with a wafer-thin majority in 2011, the Congress-led UDF government of Oommen Chandy won two assembly by-elections held during the year but strutted and fretted on the state's hyper-active...